Learn how to turn this supermarket staple into party-ready hors d'oeuvres, easy main courses, and festive desserts.

With its decadent layers of butter, light and airy good looks, and endless versatility, puff pastry is something every home chef should learn how to use. Making it from scratch, however, is intimidating—with all the folding and rolling of dough, not to mention the serious time commitment required, homemade puff pastry makes very few appearances outside restaurants and banquet halls.

The good news is that frozen puff pastry delivers all the specialness of puff pastry without all the hours and elbow grease. This freezer-aisle favorite can be dressed up in myriad sweet and savory ways to create quick and easy hors d'oeuvres, main courses, and desserts. And there's absolutely no shame in using frozen puff pastry: many cooks always keep a package on hand to make palmiers, cheese straws, turnovers, pot pies, pizzas, and tarts. And frozen puff pastry is especially great for home entertaining, as most recipes can be assembled ahead and baked just before the party starts.

If you're new to frozen puff pastry or looking for creative ways to cook and bake with it, read on for shopping and prep tips, plus our best recipes for this supermarket staple.

8 Puff Pastry Tips

1. Be a Savvy Shopper

Looking for the best puff pastry brand? There are three main choices: Dufour Classic Puff Pastry, Trader Joe's All Butter Puff Pastry, and Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheets. The first two are made from all butter, and Pepperidge Farm's version contains vegetable shortening. Some cooks prefer the flavor of all-butter pastry, and think the shortening leaves an unpleasant aftertaste. We find that both options taste best hot out of the oven, but all-butter versions keep their fresh flavor longer than those with shortening.

Packages vary in weight, but most are in the 1-pound range and contain either one or two sheets of pastry. Your recipe will indicate how much to use, but a general rule of thumb is that one sheet will make a sweet or savory tart to serve four to six, or about eight to ten hors d'oeuvre servings. If your box comes with one large sheet and your recipe calls for a single sheet, simply halve the large sheet crosswise and roll it out to the desired thickness; wrap tightly and freeze any leftovers to use later.

When shopping, make sure you buy puff pastry and not phyllo dough, which may be in the same freezer case and in similar packaging. The phyllo will likely work in some puff pastry recipes, but instead of one thick sheet of pastry, it consists of many very thin, fragile pieces, so it's more delicate and won't hold its shape nearly as well.

2. Prep Your Pastry

Most frozen puff pastry comes in folded sheets. Let the pastry thaw completely, either overnight in the refrigerator or for 45 minutes at room temperature, before using it. Unfold the pastry gently, and if you see any tears or holes, use your fingers—and a little water if necessary—to gently squeeze the pastry back together.

To prevent sticking, roll puff pastry out on a lightly floured surface, using a lightly floured rolling pin. Afterward, gently brush off any excess flour. If you're making a sweet recipe, you can use sugar or cinnamon sugar in lieu of flour, and for recipes made with cheese, you can use finely grated cheese.

Be careful not to roll puff pastry too thin, especially if making any kind of pizza or tart—the pastry needs to be sturdy enough to support the toppings and stay crisp.

3. Keep Cool

Puff pastry is easiest to work with when it's cold, so stow whatever you're not using in the refrigerator, and if the pastry gets too soft while you're rolling or cutting it, simply return it to the fridge or freezer to firm it up. If you're trying to create a specific shape, keep the pastry as cold as possible and it will be easier to make precise cuts. Use a sharp knife, a pizza wheel, a pastry cutter, or simple cookie cutters, and if you're after really straight lines, pull out a ruler or use a straight-edged baking sheet as a guide.

4. Customize Your Puff

If you're blind-baking a pie or tart shell and want to keep the inside from rising as much as the edges, use a fork to prick the surface of the dough (like you would a regular pie crust). The pastry will still be light and flaky—it just won't have as many layers. If you need straight, even sheets of puff pastry for making a napoleon, bake the puff pastry between two baking sheets so it bakes into completely flat pieces.

5. Finesse Your Fillings

Puff pastry is delicate, so be careful not to weigh it down with excessive toppings or ingredients that could release a lot of liquid and make the pastry soggy. Be particularly cautious with sticky fillings or ones that could overflow and make a mess of your baking sheets. And no matter what you're baking, line your baking sheets with parchment or a silicone baking mat, such as a Silpat, to prevent sticking.

6. Make It Shine

Just before baking, brush your puff pastry with an egg glaze (one large egg lightly beaten with about 1 teaspoon water) to give it an attractive sheen. An egg glaze can also be used like an edible glue to seal the pastry edges for turnovers, empanadas, or any stuffed pocket-style pastry; just brush a thin layer along the edges and press them together gently.

7. Bake Now or Later

Puff pastry is at its best fresh out of the oven, so if possible, bake it in small batches and serve immediately. If you like to entertain, note that most recipes can be assembled and kept in the fridge for a couple of hours and then baked just before the party. Some recipes can even be prepped but not baked, wrapped well, and frozen for a week or two. (Check your recipe for specific baking and defrosting instructions.) If you want to avoid last-minute prep and don't mind sacrificing some of puff pastry's signature lightness, bake your puff pastry then cool it completely and keep it in an airtight container at room temperature for a couple of hours. And if your pastry gets too soggy, simply pop it into the oven briefly to bring it back to life.

8. Save Your Scraps

If you have any pieces of puff pastry left over, combine them and roll them out to make palmiers or cheese straws. Leftover pastry won't puff up quite as much and it may be a little uneven, but that's less important with smaller shapes.